Rotary core-drill.



T. B. SMITH.

ROTARY CORE DRILL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. 1916. RENEWED MAR. 31,1917. 1,224,509.

Patented May 1, 1917.

OM 8 zmkv wmw/V W mm TrioMAs-B- SMITH, or wIoIiITA FALLS, TEXAS.

ROTARY GORE-DRILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

Application filed. July 7, 1916, Serial No. 108,031. Renewed March 31, 1917. Serial No. 159,002.

To all whom iii-may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs B. SM1TH,.a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita Falls, in the county of Wichita and State of Texas,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Core-Drills, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. p

This invention relates to an'improved rotary core drill and has forits primary obj ect to provide a deviceof this character for drilling and testing formations in deep oil wells. 1

It is a more particular object of the invention to provide simple and effective means whereby a solid coremay be withdrawn of all hard formations that maybe encountered in drilling sothat' the formation may be positively determined;

It is a further general object of the invention to produce a drill of'the above character which consists of relatively few parts of strong and durable construction and not liable'to get out of order.

With the above andother objects in view,

my invention'consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully describedpclaimed and illustrated in the ac companying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 "is a vertical sectional view through a core drill'constructed in accordance with" the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig; -2 is an r enlarged sectional view through the two-part flap valve; Fig. 3 is a=topplan view'of thevalve; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the drill;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on theline'5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the .drill :bits.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 and 6 designate theupper and lower sections respectively of the drill casing which are detachably connectedtogether by a coupling sleeve 7 which'm'ay ,:be either of the form illustrated orsof' any otherzdesiredtype.

The-lower end of the casing section 6 has its wall thickened and projected inwardly, thereby providing the reduced bore 8. This lower end of the casing section 6 is exteriorly screw-threaded to receive the interiorly threaded end of a sleeve 9, the other end of which is disposed in the same planeas the extended end of the casing fi. The relatively thickend' portion of the casing section is provided in its periphery with diametrically opposed, longitudinally extending grooves or channels 10, the base walls of which are preferably convex and curved in concentric relation to the bore 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. At the inner end of each of the channels or grooves 10, the same is provided in its base wall with a recess or seat 11.

The cutting bits 12 shown in detail in Fig. 6 of the drawing, each consists of a trapezoidal-shaped body 13. substantially rectangular shank 1 1 extends longitudinally from one end of thebody .13, and upon its extremity-is formed withla shoulder 15 proj ecting laterally from'oneface of said shank. The shank ll. is of appreciably less thickness than the inner end of the body 13, whereby thelaterally projecting shoulders 16 and 17 areproduced extending from the opposite sidefaces of theshank. One side of the body 13 of the cutting bit extends in the same plane as the corresponding longitudinal edge of the shank 14. The opposite side face of the body'13,however, is inclined or beveled inwardlyas'at18, to meet the straight side face and thereby form the cutting edge' 19. One ofthe other faces of the rectangular body 13 of J the cutting bit is sharply inclined outwardly from the shoulder 16, as indicated at'20, while the other face of saidibody opposite to the face 20 is only slightly inclinedoutwardly to the cutting edge 19, asin'dicated iat 21.

The shank portions '14 of the cutting bits are adaptedto be fittedinto the respective peripheral grooves 10 in'the lower end of the casing section 6, the shoulders 15 seating snugly in therecesses 11. The shoulders 16 on the bits abut against the end of the casing while the end of the sleeve 9 tightly engages against the'shoulders 17'on the bits. Thus, the several cutting bits are very securelyheld in their relative positions against movement with respect-to each other or with respect to the drill casing. As seen in Fig. 4 of the drawing, the bits are assembled so that the sloping or inclined side face 18 of one bit is opposed to the cutting edge 19 of the next adjacent bit, said inclined faces 18 thus all sloping in the same direction with respect to the body or casing of the drill.

The upper end portion of the reduced bore 8 is threaded to detachably receive the exteriorly threaded lower end of the core barrel 22 which is concentrically spaced from the wall of the drill casing. Below the barrel 22, an annular shoulder 23 is formed upon the wall of the bore 8. A short sleeve 26L is rotatably mounted in the lower end of the bore 8 and against the shoulder 23. The

upper end of this sleeve is provided at diaare engaged upon the extremities of the pintles 28, one end portion of the springs in each pair engaging upon the upper side of one valve plate 26 and the other ends of the springs bearing against the end of the sleeve 24. These coil springs thus operate to normally yieldingly hold the valve plates in a horizontal position over the end of the sleeve 24 though not entirely closing said sleeve. The sleeve 24 is, retained in position by means of a tubular nut 32 threaded into the lower end of the bore 8.

The enlarged lower end of the casing section 6, between the channels or grooves 10 therein, is provided with longitudinally extending openings 33 which communicate with the space between the wall of the cas ing 6 and the' core barrel 22.

Upon the upper end of the core barrel 22, a conical cap 34 is threaded, said cap being provided with one or more openings 35. p

In the operation of the device the casing is adapted to be rotated in any desired manner and the bits 12 serve to cut out a solid core of all the hard formations that may be encountered, and said core passes upwardly through the sleeve 24 into the core barrel 22.

The valve plates 26 will swing upwardly to permit the passage of the core and will be held against retrograde movement by the engagement of said plates 26 with the core under the influence of the springs 31. It will also be noted that by having the sleeve 2 k capable of rotation, the core at the time ofits cutting will not rotate with the drill whereby is eliminated the wear or grinding of the core which would otherwise occur. When the casing is pulled upwardly or out of the ground the core will be broken off at thehpoints of contact of the plates 26 therewit The upper or outer end of the casing is adapted to have connected therewith in any convenient manner a high pressure pump which serves to force water and mud, as is well known in ordinary rotary drill work, down the casing and between the core barrel 22 and the casing and through the openserve the privilege of adopting all such le- I gitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A well drill of the character described including a rotatable body, a core barrel concentrically mounted within said body, a plurality of cutting bits, means for assembling said cutting bits in operative relation in the lower end of the body wall, and opposed normally spaced valve plates mounted within the body beneath the core barrel and opened by the pressure of the material.

2. A well drill of the character described including a rotatable body, a core barrel concentrically mounted within said body, a plurality of cutting bits, means for assembling said cutting bits in operative relation in the lower end. of the body wall, and spring-operated valve plates mounted within the body beneath the core barrel and opened. by the pressure of the material. 7

3. A well drill of'the character described including a rotary body having a reduced bore at its lower end, acore barrel mounted in said bore and extending upwardly in concentric relation to said body, a plurality of cutting bits, means for detachably holdingthe bits in assembled relation upon the lower end of said body, said bits projecting below the drill body and having beveled faces, and spring-held valve plates mounted in the reduced bore of the body below said barrel and opened by the upward pressure of'the material entering the barrel.

4. A well drill of the character described including a rotary body having a reduced bore at its lower end, a core barrel mounted in said bore and extending upwardly in concentric relation to said body, a plurality of cutting bits, means for detachably holding the bits in assembled relation upon the lower end of said body, said bits projectin below the drill body and having bevele faces, and spring-held valve plates mounted in the reduced bore of the body below said barrel and opened by the upward pressure of the material entering the barrel, said drill body being provided with means permitting the free circulation of fluid between the barrel and the drill body into the well.

5. A well drill of the character described including a rotary body having a reduced bore in its lower end and a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending channels in its periphery, cutting bits each havinga shank for detachable engagement in one of said channels, a sleeve threaded upon the body to engage over the bit shanks and retain the bits in their operative positions, the body portions of the bits projecting beyond the end of the drill body and being provided with inclined faces, a core barrel mounted' in the upper end of said bore, and springheld valve plates mounted in the bore below said barrel and opened by the upward pressure of the material entering the barrel.

6. A well drill of the character described including a rotary body having a reduced bore at its lower end and a plurality of spaced longitudinal channels in its periphery, a plurality of cutting bits each having a shank for engagement in one of said channels, a sleeve threaded upon said body for engagement over the shanks of the cutting bits to hold the bits against relative movement, a core barrel detachably mounted in the upper end of said bore and extending upwardly into said body in spaced concentric relation to the same, a sleeve mounted within the bore below said barrel, springheld valve plates mounted upon the upper end of the sleeve and opened by the upward pressure of the material entering jsaid barrel, and means to retain the sleeve in position therein.

7. A well drill of the character described including a rotary body having a reduced bore at its lower end and a plurality of spaced longitudinal channels in its periphery, a plurality of cutting bits each having a shank for engagement in one of said channels, a sleeve threaded upon said body for engagement over the shanks of the cutting bits to hold the bits against relative movement, a core barrel detachably mounted in the upper end of said bore and extending upwardly into said body in spaced concentric relation to the same, a sleeve rotatably mounted within the bore below said barrel, spring-held valve plates mounted upon the upper end of the sleeve and opened by the upward pressure of the material entering said barrel, and means to retain the sleeve in position therein.

8. A well drill of the character describedincluding a rotary body having a reduced bore at its lower end and a plurality of spaced longitudinal channels in its periphery, a plurality of cutting bits each having a shank for engagement in one of said channels, a sleeve threaded upon said body for engagement over the shanks of the cutting bits to hold the bits against relative move ment, a core barrel detachably mounted in the upper end of said bore and extending upwardly into said body in spaced concentric relation to the same, a sleeve mounted within the bore below said barrel, springheld valve plates mounted upon the upper end of the sleeve and opened by the upward pressure of the material entering said barrel, a tubular nut threaded in the lower end of said bore to retain the sleeve in position therein, said body being provided in its wall between the bit receiving channels in the lower end thereof with longitudinal openings, anda cap threaded upon the upper end of the core barrel. 1

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

F. P. AVIS, O. H. RANDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

